MARION — Artists and long-time friends Lisa Goren and Heather Stivison are featured in a new exhibition at the Marion Art Center titled “Duets: Two Artists and Our Blue Planet.”

The artwork featured in the exhibit focuses on an appreciation of the natural world, in addition to environmental protection of the fragile planet. A “luminous” quality is showcased through the artists’ work, reflecting a fascination with water, ice and earthly patterns. 

The opening of the exhibit will take place on Friday, July 11, with a reception held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. A gallery talk will also be held on Saturday, August 2 at 11 a.m. with both artists present.

New Bedford-based visual artist Heather Stivison has had her work exhibited in museums, universities and galleries across the United States, in addition to juried shows in Europe and Asia. Her art combines aspects of art and science, with inspiration from her mother who was an art teacher and her father who was a research scientist.

Using color, line and form, Stivison translates philosophical or scientific concepts into her work.

Boston-based artist Lisa Goren was born in California and raised in New York City, yet her art is entangled with a strong fascination with polar landscapes. After her first trip to Antarctica, Goren was inspired to capture the vast and vulnerable landscapes she witnessed.

Goren utilizes watercolors to examine the polar landscapes and create questions about the nature of our planets and its unfamiliar, threatened terrains.

The gallery is open through Friday, August 15 and is located at 80 Pleasant Street in Marion. Further information can be found at www.marionartcenter.org.